Certificate holder



July 29, 1930. L. 1 sHl-:Rwoon cnn'rIFIcA'rE HOLDER Filed nay 1e, 192s /w/E/Vro/EL) 'Z Sii/9W@ 00 yM/m Patented Julyze, 1930 Y i 1,771,658

" UNTI'EDV STATES .PATENT OFFICE i i Y LEs'rEn VL,vsnrin'woon, or Los `ANGELES, oALIroRnIA i i Y p p i l erin''rIr'IonrEv HOLDER i l Aepueatiqn-fnee May ie, leas. serial no, araoaa l i `ltfyinvention relates to improved holder i .lis a front elevationalview ofa cerfor identification certificatesandlthelike that tificate holder of my improved construction,

are now generally required by statelaws and in open flat` condition lbefore being applied cityordinancesto be carried by and displayed to a vehicle steering column or the like.

n 5 `upon motor vehicles. i u Y Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken i5 My present inventionis an improvement on the line 2-2 o'f Fig. 1. i "i .onthe `certificate holders formingthe subject- Fig. 3` is a. longitudinaly section taken matter of an application for patent filed by through the centerof the holder. me August 4:, V1925, Serial Number 48,098, and Fig. `4f is aV perspectiveV viewV of one lof l0 U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,671,554, issued to the buckles utilized as a part of the fasten- 60 .me May 29th, 1928. Y l, ing means for my improved holder. l

The principal objects of my present invenfFig; 5 is a sectional view. of the steering tion are to generally improve and simplify `post or column of an automobile and showing the construction of the certificate holders dismy improved holder in position thereupon. V15 closed in my aforesaid Letters Patent `and Eig. G'isadetail elevational view of amodi- 65 copending application, as well as other types fied form'of the holder.` y A of certificate holders, to provide /a'certificate 1 Fig. 7-.is4 an enlarged `cross section taken holder that :is relatively simple inconstrucon the line 7-7 of Fig. 6. tion. inexpensiveof manufacture, and which Referring by numerals to the accompanymay be easily and-quickly applied to the ing drawings which illustrate a practical em- 70 steering 'post or column lof an automobile bodiment of my invention, 10 designates the where it will hold and display'in convenient rear wall of the holder and 11 the front'wall manner the certificatebearing data relating thereof, said walls being formed of suitable to the automobile in order thatsaid data flexible material suchas leather, rubberized 2:15 may be readily observed by trafic ofeers 0r fabric, composition or the like, and said walls 75 other persons who might have occasion to being of equal widthandlength and inteyascertain the identity` and license number grally connected at one end... In other words ofthe operator or owner `ofi-the vehicle. the front and rear walls areformed from a A further object of my invention is to prosingle piece of flexible material that is bent 30 `vide'means for reinforcing theocrtificate -double on ay transverse lineat its center, 80

holder sothatthe samerwill, under all conditherebyforming said front and rear walls. tions, lie flat againstthe steering post or Formed in the,centralportionvofthe front column to which it isV applied,` and further to wall11 is an elongated opening `12jand ar- `provide improved means for securing the Aranged against the innei1 face of said front holder in position upon the steering column wall and-covering this opening is a section i. A0r 'like part of.V a .motori vehicle, and which 13 of thin transparent material, such as celluwsefcuringmeansmayfbe readily. adjusted so -loid, thereby forming a window or sight :as 4-toi be fitted onto columns of' different Vopening insaid front wall through which ,Vsiz'es, andsaid attachingmeanslbeing conthe enclosed certificate `may be` readily obstructed and' arranged' so that it :lies flat served. The edge of the iexible ,transparf against' the column and thereby eliminate ent member 13 is secured to the front wall projectingl parts that might interfere with 11 around the'edge opening 12 therein, in any `the clothing or movements'iof the occupants `suitable. manner, preferably byv arow 14 0f of the automobile; stitching. 1

i 45a With theforegoing and other objects iiny i Arranged midway between theends ofthe -95 view, my invention consists in certain novel bodyof the holder and at the upper and lower features of construction and arrangement Vedges thereof, are buckles thatarer utilized of parts that willhereinafter be more `fully in connection with a strap `for securingl the describedy and claimed and, illustrated in the holder in position onan automobile part, such accompanying drawing,in whichu asa steering column, and each buckle 4com- 00 prises a rear plate 15 that is secured to the body of the holder by one or more rivets, such as 16, the same passing through the plate 15, and through the edges of the front and rear walls 10 andll, and thus the same fastening means that is utilized for attaching the buckles'to the body of the holder fastens the edges of the front and rear walls to each other at points intermediate their ends. I

.The outer edge of each plate, or that edge that projects beyond the edges ofthe front and krear walls 10 and 11, is bent at right angles to form a lip or flange 17, and the edge thereof is serrated as designated by 18.V Y

Formed integral with and projecting outwardly from the ends of the lip or flange 17 are short pintles 19 that are j ournaled in apertures 20, the latter being formed in wings 21 that are bent rearwardly from a front plate 22,(and which latter occupies a position immediately in front of plate 15.

The buckles located on the central portions of the upper and lower edges of the holder are adapted to clamp theend portions of a short strap 23 of leather, rubberized fabric, or analogous material.

In the use of my improved holder the certificate bearing the required data relating to the vehicle upon which the certificate is carried and data relating to the owner or operator of the vehicle is insertedl inthe open endrof the holder so as to occupy a position between the front and rear walls thereof,

Vand thus certain of the data on the central portion of the certificate is plainly visible through the window in the front wall of the holder.

The holder is now applied to the steering column ofthe vehicle, and as it must be curved toconform to the shape of said steering col-` ldevice that projects ka substantial distance from the holder the ends of strap 23 may fold upon themselves as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5, and said folded ends clamped between the serrated edges 18-o'f the flange 17 and the adjacent portions of the plates 22, with the terminal portions of said straps on the inside, and thus when the front plates 22 are swung down into clampingposition a practically smooth outer surface is `produced Y with the result that there will beno interference between the holder and the occupants of the vehicle with which said holder is associated.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated a modified coni struction wherein the upper and lower edges of the holder are reinforced by small wire rods 24 that are disposed between the front and rear Walls of the holder adjacent to their upper and lower edges and said rods being firmly retained in position by rows of stitching 25 that pass through the front and rear walls above and below the reinforcing rod, and which rows of stitches are parallel with the adjacent edge of the holder.

Where this construction is provided, portions of the front and rear walls of the holder are cut away at intermediate points, as desig nated by 26, thereby exposing the central portion of the rod and the lower end of the rear plate 15'i of the buckle is bent or looped around the exposed portion of the rod, as designated by 27.

- Thus it will be seen that I have provided an automobile certificate holder that is relatively simple in construction, 'inexpensive of manufacture, and very effective inperforming the functions for which it is intended.

An especially desirable feature ofl my im-l proved construction is the attaching of the buckles to the upper and lower edges of the body `of the holder by rivets or the like, and utilizing said rivets in securing the intermediate portions of the V edges of the front and rear walls of the holder to each other, such construction being relatively simple, easily and cheaply accomplished, and very effective in results.

A further desirable feature of the invention is the utilization of comparatively fiat buckles and a strapfor securing the holderl tothe steering post or like automobile member so that said holder, when properlyapplied to the steering column, presents a neat and finished appearance without undue projecting portions.

It will be understood that minor changes'v in the size, form and, construction of the various parts of my improved certificate holder may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention.:

1. A certificate holder, comprising a single piece of flexible material bent double so as to form front and rearwalls of equal size, a window formed in the central portion of the front wall, a two part buckle arranged on the upper edge of the holder at a point midway between its ends, the rear part of which buckle ,is positioned against the rear face of the rearwall of the holder, .a single fastening element passing through the rear part of said buckle and through the adjacent portions of the front and rear walls of the holder, the front part of the buckle Vbeing hinged to the rear part at a point 'beyond the edges of the front and rear walls of the holder and a strap detachably engaged by said buckle.

2. A certificate holder, comprising a single piece of flexible material bent double so .as

ibs

to form front and rear walls of equal size, a window formed in the central portion of the front wall, a two part buckle arranged on the upper edge of the holder at a point midway r between its ends, the rear part of which buckle is positioned against the rear face of the rear wall of the holder, a single fastening element passing through the rear part of said buckle and through the adjacent portions of the front and rear walls of the holder, the front part of the buckle being hinged to the rear part at a point beyond the edges of the front and rear walls of the holder, a strapk detachably engaged by said buckle and means for detachably connecting the opposite end of said strap to the opposite edges of the walls of the holder.

3. A certificate holder, comprising a single piece of flexible material bent double so as f to form front and rear walls of equal size, a window formed in the central portion of the front wall, a two part buckle arranged on the upper edge of the holder at a point midway between its ends, the rear part of which buckle is positioned against the'rear face of the rear wall of the holder, a single fastening element passing through the rear part of said buckle and through the adjacent portions of the front and rear walls of the holder, the front part of the buckle being hinged to the rear part at a point beyond the edges of the front and rear walls of the holder, a strap detachably engaged by said buckle, a two part buckle arranged on the lower Vedge of the holder at a point midway between the ends thereof, the rear part of which buckle 1s positioned against the rear face of the rear wall of the holder, a single fastening element passing through the rear portion of the buckle and through the adjacent portions of the walls of the holder and the front part of which buckle is hinged to the rear part at a point beyond the adjacent edges of the walls of the holder. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LESTER L. SHERWOOD. 

